Read more about University Foundation Programmes The University Foundation Programme (UFP) is a one-year course designed specifically for international applicants and prepares students for the demands of undergraduate study. The UFP offers an alternative to A-level study.

Read more about the BTEC Business Course The BTEC programme is a good alternative to A-level and is ideal for students who prefer to complete modular assignments. Each assignment will be graded and this mark will count towards their final points.

Read more about English Language Programmes Our dedicated EFL department offer specialised English courses for Pre GCSE and Pre A-level students along with supporting GCSE and A-level students with English/IELTS classes. On application we will establish your current English and academic levels and then
recommend the relevant English Language course or support.

Read more about Summer School We have been running Summer School programmes for over 28 years. We offer General English which can be combined with Arts & Crafts, Go Karting, Tennis or Film Making. For students aged 12-17 years, running from 1st July to 12th August.

Read more about University Foundation Programmes The University Foundation Programme (UFP) is a one-year course designed specifically for international applicants and prepares students for the demands of undergraduate study. The UFP offers an alternative to A-level study.

Read more about the BTEC Business Course The BTEC programme is a good alternative to A-level and is ideal for students who prefer to complete modular assignments. Each assignment will be graded and this mark will count towards their final points.

Read more about English Language Programmes Our dedicated EFL department offer specialised English courses for Pre GCSE and Pre A-level students along with supporting GCSE and A-level students with English/IELTS classes. On application we will establish your current English and academic levels and then
recommend the relevant English Language course or support.

Read more about Summer School We have been running Summer School programmes for over 28 years. We offer General English which can be combined with Arts & Crafts, Go Karting, Tennis or Film Making. For students aged 12-17 years, running from 1st July to 12th August.

GCSE English Literature

GCSE English Literature

English Literature involves discussion and exploration of the key themes in all literature: love, relationships, conflict and power.

Students need to be open minded and willing to hear and discuss the opinions of their peers in order to understand the way texts can be interpreted.

The course covers a variety and range of modern and historical prose, poetry and drama texts from Shakespeare and Charles Dickens to Carol Ann Duffy and Imtiaz Dharker, with many more along the way.

Students will need to understand the way a writer is influenced by what is happening around them; therefore a willingness to ‘read around’ texts is essential.

Studying Literature can be challenging but it is also immensely rewarding. Students will develop the keys skills of thinking critically, reading and analysing texts closely and structuring responses. The skills acquired and developed in this subject are useful for future studies in A-level English Literature, English Language, Psychology, Law and History.

Course Content

The specification we follow is AQA English Literature. This can be undertaken as a one or two-year course depending on the type of course being taken.

There are two sections to this course: Shakespeare and the 19th Century Novel; Modern Text (drama or prose) and Poetry.

Shakespeare and the 19th Century Novel: Students read and study a whole play which will be chosen by their teacher from the following selection: The Tempest, Macbeth, Romeo and Juliet, The Merchant of Venice, Julius Caesar or Much Ado About Nothing. They also need to read and study one of the following novels: The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, A Christmas Carol, Great Expectations, Jane Eyre, Frankenstein, Pride and Prejudice, The Sign of Four.

Modern Text and Poetry: Students read one modern text, which will be either drama text or a prose text. Drama texts include: An Inspector Calls, Blood Brothers, The History Boys, DNA, The Curious Incident of the dog in the Night Time, A Taste of Honey. Prose texts include: Lord of The Flies, Telling Tales, Animal Farm, Never Let Me Go, Anita and Me, Pigeon English. Students will also study a selection of poetry from 1789 to present day.There are two clusters of 15 poems, of which students will study one of the following themes: love and relationships or power and conflict.

Assessment

Paper 1: Shakespeare and the 19th century novel

Section A Students answer one question on the play they have studied. They are given an extract that they will write in detail about and then go on to develop their response to incorporate the whole of the play. Section B Students answer a question on the novel they have studied. They will write in detail about an extract they are given and then expand on this to write about the novel as a whole.

Paper 1: Lasts 1 hour and 45 minutes: forms 40% of the GCSE mark

Paper 2: Modern Text and Poetry

Section A Students choose one of two questions on the drama or prose they have studied. Section B Students complete a comparative question on one named poem and another poem of their choosing from the cluster they have studied from the anthology Section C Students are given one question on an unseen poem, followed by a second question that includes a second unseen poem to compare and contrast.

Paper 2: Lasts 2 hours and 15 minutes: forms 60% of the GCSE mark

Where does it lead?

This subject is very versatile and develops skills that are relevant for a number of different careers or Higher Education courses. These include interpretive abilities, communication, an understanding of how language works, close analysis, and the ability to construct a well-argued case.

As well as an English Literature degree, students of Literature might go on to study for university degrees in a range of subjects including: History, Sociology, Psychology, Drama, Theatre Studies and Law.

Literature is a subject that can support careers in the above areas as well as teaching, business and finance, journalism, publishing and politics. Employers tend to regard English Literature as an ideal topic of study and one that develops essential and transferable skills.